This core will provide support and oversight to the care and maintenance of the animal models that will be utilized in Projects 1-3 of this proposed program project grant application. The role of this core will go beyond animal maintenance, and includes providing specific tissue preparations for each of the proposed projects as described in the Experimental Methods Sections of the projects. With respect to the animals, it will be the responsibility of this core to sustain each of the animal colonies by purchasing, when necessary, the initial breeding stock as well as experimental animals. The colonies will be maintained to optimized the number of experimental animals available from the fewest number of breeders. All breeding records of the animals will be maintained, documenting the identify of all progeny produced in the colony. The transgenic and knockout animals will be genotyped as neonates to facilitate establishing the necessary breeding crosses to provide experimental animals of the desired genotypes. In addition, as the protocols of the specific experimental of projects 1-3 dictate, various drugs and dietary supplements will be provided to the experimental animals. Therefore, the overall goal will be to maintain a consistently high quality high quality of care, so that any environmentally-induced variability can be reduced or eliminated. It is the goal of this Core to provide the specific tissue needs for each of the proposed studies in the most cost-effect manner possible.